Thanks For The Memories
by Sybl Angelkat
Summary: Hessian/OC sequel to "To Be Loved By You". The couple attends a Halloween party five years after the Lady Van Tassel incident. A mysterious murder takes place just outside. Will they solve the mystery in time to save Sleepy Hollow from a terrible fate?
1. Chapter 1

Thanks For The Memories.

A/N: This story is dedicated to Tanja2210. This story is the sequel to "To Be Loved By You". Ichabod, Katrina, the Hessian, and Dawn have settled into their lives quite contentedly, but a string of mysterious murders once again haunts the little town. With all of their enemies defeated, what could possibly be after them now?

Chapter 1

_I'm gonna make you bend and break..._

_say a prayer, but let the good times roll..._

_in case God doesn't show..._

The night was cool and windy. It was a perfect night for October. Jack-o-lanterns decorated Sleepy Hollow as was the tradition. The smell of burning firewood, spicy apple cider, and dried leaves was heavy on the air. Everywhere one looked, the flicker of glowing faces carved in pumpkins contrasted sharply with the shadows. The crescent moon was tipped on its side and looked like a smile. Just as was expected, there was a party going full-swing at the Crane household. Cheerful violin music enhanced the mood considerably and the house was full of people. Ichabod estimated that close to three-quarters of the town had shown up there. Thus far, he couldn't walk two inches without accidentally running into someone. Jasmine was flitting about excitedly in her crimson red party dress. She was twelve years old and was already attracting attention for her beauty. Hanne followed her through the crowd, wearing a dress of bright emerald green. Jaegar looked very handsome in his royal blue suit. They were both growing up very quickly. Their youngest sister, Hope, was only five and was the youngest one at the party. She wore a petal-pink dress and often made a fuss if she had to wear any other color. Her dark curls were held back with a matching pink ribbon and her electric-blue eyes glittered mischievously. Tiger, the housecat, was laying lazily on a window seat and looking disdainfully at the others as if wondering why they would waste time on a party when they could be lying around doing nothing.

Katrina descended the stairs, a lovely vision in a lavender dress. Ichabod was waiting at the bottom for her. She offered one hand to him and he kissed it delicately.

"How is Alexander?" he asked, referring to their three-year old son.

"He's fast asleep. He wasn't thrilled with missing the party, but he didn't take long to nod off," Katrina answered. Alexander had been sick recently and she was afraid that the party would be too much for him. She had just given him a cup of chamomile tea to help him sleep.

"Where are Dawn and Klaus?" she asked.

"They're around here somewhere," Ichabod said, "I heard Dawn fussing about the music a moment ago. She said it was too boring."

Katrina couldn't help but smile. That would explain the lively beat. Leave it to Dawn to want to get things moving.

After scanning the crowd after a moment, she caught sight of Dawn and Klaus lounging on a nearby sofa. Dawn was laughing hysterically at something and Klaus had a very amused expression. Apparently, Ann and Jane had said something funny.

"Did we miss something?" Ichabod asked. He was beginning to smile himself; Dawn's laughter was extremely contagious.

"Oh, it's just Jaegar. He's discovered girls," Dawn said, finally regaining some composure, "he just asked Molly to dance with him and she ran away. Poor kid."

Klaus was just shaking his head.

"If they keep running away, at least we won't have trouble with him," Klaus commented. They watched their awkward almost-teen son try to summon up the courage to ask another girl to dance. Jane brought in cups of hot cider and everyone took one. The rich spiciness of the drink felt good going down. Dawn inched closer to Klaus until they were touching and he wrapped his arm around her. The lights were dimmed and everyone gathered closer. A teenage boy named Jacob was going to tell a story tonight.

"All right, all right everyone! Gather around! It's time for the spook story," he called through cupped hands.

_One night and one more time..._

_thanks for the memories _

_even though they weren't so great_

_he tastes like you, but sweeter..._

They crowded around. As Jacob began to tell the Headless Horseman legend, Dawn chuckled to herself. She could feel Klaus's ribs shaking with silent laughter. Oh, if only they knew....none of these people realized that the great legend was sitting right there in their midst with a wife and three children!

"Oh, yes, it really happened," Jacob said coyly, "tell me, Crane, do you still not believe in ghosts?"

_I'm looking forward to the future_

_though my eyesight is going bad..._

_and this crystal ball..._

_well it's always cloudy except for..._

_when you look into the past..._

Ichabod had to strain to keep a straight face.

"I still do not believe in ghosts."

He gave a sly wink to the married couple on the couch and Dawn had to bite back her laughter even more. With the story having been told, the party resumed and the music started again. It was a nice slow song and Dawn and Klaus joined the other couples. Klaus wore his usual black, but Dawn wore a dress of shimmering silver material. She said it was satin or something like that, but it looked as though it was woven out of moonlight. If the light struck the material, one could see the faint outline of stars all over it.

"People have short memories," she commented, "I'm glad nobody remembers our little race through town."

"I remember," Klaus said with a devilish grin.

Dawn grinned back. She'd never forget that as long as she lived. The two of them were about to steal a kiss when they heard a scream. The party went silent as the blood-curdling sound came again. Without missing another beat, the men went tearing outside to see where it was coming from. Dawn followed and Klaus knew it was useless to stop her.

Laying on the front walk was the motionless body of Widow Gretel. A few of the women fainted and the others tried to usher the children back inside so that they couldn't see. Masbeth and Ichabod knelt next to the body. In the faint candlelight, Dawn could see that her throat had been torn open as if she'd been attacked by an animal. Ichabod shuddered violently. When Dawn gave him a questioning look, he pointed to the chest. Dawn felt the bitterness rise in her throat when she realized that the Widow's heart had also been torn out. There was no sign of it anywhere.

"Oh..." Dawn muttered shakily.

"Everyone go back inside!" Ichabod yelled. The crowd surged back into the house, watching from the windows. The three of them began to search for clues, but there were no others to be found. Ichabod insisted on an immediate autopsy of the old woman.

"Go check on the children," Klaus told Dawn, "I will tell you what we find later."

Dawn nodded even though her curiosity was getting the better of her. Arguing would only waste time. She went back into the house while Ichabod and Klaus moved the body off of the front walk. As soon as they had carried her into Ichabod's autopsy room, the guests, frightened by this experience, began to leave very quickly. Within a few moments, the house was deserted except for its original inhabitants. Dawn told Hope a bedtime story. When Hope insisted that she wouldn't sleep without Tiger, Dawn dashed downstairs and retrieved the family pet. After being satisfied that Tiger was laying beside her, she drifted off to sleep.

"What happened, Mother?"

Hanne was standing in the doorway of the room. Dawn saw no point in lying to her.

"Someone's been murdered right in front of the house," Dawn admitted, "Ichabod and your dad are working on trying to figure out exactly what happened."

Hanne's face went pale.

"So that means..."

"Oh, honey, I don't think we have a lot to worry about," Dawn lied smoothly, "I'm sure whoever did it is gone now."

It didn't make Hanne feel any better. Dawn embraced her nervous daughter.

"There's no sense in worrying about it," Dawn told her, "for all we know, it was just an animal. If it was, we'll catch it. Why don't you go to bed now? It's getting late, anyway."

She sighed and obediently got in bed. Although she was almost thirteen, Dawn pulled the covers up and tucked her in.

Jaegar seemed just as unnerved as his sister was, but he didn't want anyone else to know that. When he was sure that no one was watching, he let Dawn tuck him in as well. By the time Dawn had gotten the children to bed, Klaus and Ichabod still had not emerged from the autopsy room. She was tired, but splashed some cold water on her face to keep from falling asleep. Then, she sat down on the stairs to wait. That way, if she heard a noise from either direction, she didn't have to climb quite so many stairs. Just as she was nearly about to nod off for the third time, the squeal of door hinges woke her up. Klaus came out first, then Ichabod. Both men looked very uneasy. Dawn knew that this was never a good sign. It ordinarily took quite a bit to shake Klaus up.

"Well?" Dawn asked, not sure if she really wanted to know.

"The wound on the widow's neck was made with very sharp teeth," Ichabod said, looking as if he would faint, "and the bite-marks are unlike anything I've ever seen before. It certainly wasn't a wolf or a wild cat or a dog."

"And the heart?" Dawn asked.

"Gone. Whoever killed the widow first tore out her throat, then chopped out the heart. There were also claw marks on her chest and the rest of her organs."

Dawn shuddered.

"A bear, maybe?" Dawn asked.

"I don't think so," Ichabod admitted, "there are no other bruises or scratch marks on the widow's body. I've seen bear attacks before and they aren't this clean."

Dawn suppressed a shudder.

"So...any ideas?"

"A few," Ichabod said uneasily, "there was one last thing that I noticed that was rather disturbing."

Dawn gave him a "go on" look.

"The widow's body was almost completely drained of blood. See how little there is on my apron?"

She did.

"Ugh," Dawn muttered, suddenly catching on, "are you saying there's a vampire in Sleepy Hollow?"

Ichabod shrugged.

"I'll get Katrina. She knows more about these things than I do."

Dawn sighed. She sought shelter in her husband's arms while they waited for Katrina to return.

"Why do these things ALWAYS happen here?" Dawn asked irritably. Sleepy Hollow seemed to be a magnet for disturbing things and malevolent forces.

"I do not know," Klaus answered. He caught sight of their reflections in the mirror. Despite the fact that his teeth hadn't been pointed since he'd come back to life, he was reminded that he was once a monster. Feeling Dawn's face buried in his chest made him thank God that she'd come along. At one time, he'd been the scariest thing about the small town. Then, Lady Van Tassel and John had come from the bowels of Hell to make their lives miserable for a short time. Dawn had defeated them with Katrina's magic, Ichabod's drawing skills (the map he'd drawn), and Klaus's expert sword-training and her own hardheadedness. As she listened to Klaus's heartbeat, she wondered what else could possibly want to break up their peace.

And, so it began again....

_One night and one more time, _

_thanks for the memories,_

_thanks for the memories...._


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Long time, no type, I know. Writer's block sucks. But I'm on a roll now!

Chapter 2

Stunned, she fled into the forest. Blood still dripped from her mouth and her white skin glowed softly in the moonlight. Her stomach cringed and rolled in protest of the still-warm blood that had pooled at the bottom of it. The nausea would have to wait, however, because she knew she'd just have to kill someone else if she got sick. Dark blue eyes scanned the shadowy woods, sometimes zooming in on things. Her platinum-blonde hair flowed on the breeze.

"There you are," a softly slurred voice whispered, "have a nice dinner?"

A man who looked younger than his twenty-seven years waded out of the lake. Despite having been completely immersed just a moment before, his layers of old armor were dry. His profile in the moonlight depicted someone clearly of German descent; the high forehead and hairline, the solid nose, and the strong cheekbones. His build was sturdy though he was not very large. Anyone who would have seen this odd couple would swear they were not of this earth.

The young woman flung herself into his arms, though she seemed far more animalistic than human. Her soft, pale, bare flesh contrasted sharply with the hard rigidness of his armor. She was not a skinny woman, either; she was quite plump. Though her body looked soft and squishy, her skin was actually very tough and made her nearly invincible to anything.

"Did you bring what I asked you to bring?" he asked.

The strange woman held up the poor widow's heart. It was still warm, steaming in the coldness of the night air.

"Excellent. We still need more. Why is it that you seem to only bring one at a time?" he asked.

"You don't understand, Viktor…it's too easy to get caught. I barely escaped this last time…" she said uneasily.

"The longer you wait, the harder it will be to complete the magic," the soldier informed her, "you said you would do anything to stay with me and this counts as anything. I made you immortal just as I made myself; after this, you won't need to subsist on blood. You will be able to merely feed off their life energies, which is much more subtle and less messy. But until then, you must do as I say."

He placed the heart in the pouch that hung from his belt.

"Now…since you have been such a good girl today…"

Viktor kissed her roughly. She moaned slightly in his mouth, claws making a ghastly scraping sound as they scratched his armor. It was no matter to him; she couldn't possibly damage it.

"My future bride," he purred, "I know this is hard for you…I live in one world while you live in the next…Yes…but not for long. The extra flesh you carry, the insatiable need for blood…that will all be gone and you'll be beautiful. You'll be mine."

She was melting like candle wax in his arms. Her dark blue eyes glazed over as he ran his gloved hands up and down her back.

"Agatha…" he hissed sensuously.

"Wha…?" she murmured, intoxicated by his touch.

"There is one heart in particular I'd very much like to have."

"Mmmm…"

"Bring me the heart of Klaus Abendroth, the one who lives with the yellow-haired woman in that cottage nearby. Hell, bring the whole family's hearts. It will mean a feast for you and completion of the potion for me. He did something rather horrid to me, you know."

"What did he do?" her voice was developing a ragged edge from the lust.

"I did the exact same thing he did, only a couple of years earlier…I changed sides. That was back when you were still alive. The bastard called me a traitor, then he killed me in my sleep. Do you know why I always have this accursed armor on?"

"No."

"Because it's the only thing holding me together. Until I finish the potion, I cannot make love to you nor marry you. You need the potion to cure your vampirism, I need it to seal the wounds shut so that I will be whole again."

Tears welled up in her eyes out of sympathy for him.

"That's why you didn't come home…" she whispered, voice laden with grief still fresh.

"That's exactly why. I did not dare tell you before…I didn't think you were strong enough to handle it. I won't ask you to kill them tonight…I want you to rest for a few days. Come stay with me. Then, we will take them together."

Her pale white hand slid into his gloved one and they descended into the water together, down to the underwater cave that they called home. The icy water chilled her bare body, but she knew it wouldn't be for long. She preferred to hunt completely naked, for the extravagant gowns that were in fashion now were a hindrance. She could move the fastest when there weren't so many yards of cloth to snag and tear on things. She also disliked the smears of blood getting on her clothes; if it was only her skin, it would wash away easily. They emerged into the cave, which was much warmer and drier. A large, ornate bed stood off to one side. There was a sitting area with a makeshift fireplace (Viktor had drilled a hole to the surface so that the smoke would escape). They needed no bathroom or kitchen since they did not require food. The hearts that they had already collected were frozen solid and sitting in a large cauldron.

"How should I do it?" Agatha asked, "The woman, Klaus's wife…she already suspects something. I could see it in her eyes. And it's bad enough we have to kill adults, but children?"

"Children's hearts would be a very good addition," Viktor answered, "their hearts are the purest, therefore they would make the potion stronger."

Seeing that she was having personal convictions about murdering innocents, Viktor placed his fingertips under her chin and gently raised it so that she was looking into his pale green eyes.

"You know I would never ask you to do anything this difficult if it weren't necessary, my love…"

He could see that she was slowly giving in inside.

"Take the children first and get it over with. When the parents begin to search for them, they will be out here alone and unable to ask for help. The children will be going to Heaven, of course, for we won't need their souls. They can play on the clouds and dance with Jesus for the rest of eternity. Klaus, on the other hand…"

"All right," she sighed.

He meandered over to the wardrobe and retrieved a dress for Agatha. It was a wonderful shade of red, his favorite for her. She obediently stepped into it and he helped her lace up the corset. She watched their reflections in the mirror and suppressed a sigh. There, she remembered…

Her whitish hair had once been a beautiful gold. Her dark blue eyes, almost black, had once been a medium blue, the color of a summer sky. Her skin had been rosy and smooth as porcelain. Though she was large, men had been attracted to her for her intelligence. She had chosen Viktor, however, and it seemed that things had gone downhill from there. At twenty-one, she was not prepared to be a widow. Now…she was doing absolutely awful and unthinkable things—all for him. For him, she had turned her back on God and sold her soul to be with him. She would never know the Heaven she often pined for. She killed for him. She stole for him. She felt as if a part of herself had died, and not just her body the day she drowned herself in the river.

She would never admit it, but she was horribly jealous of Klaus and Dawn. The two of them had something she and Viktor could never ever have…

Maybe killing them wouldn't be that hard.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Sorry about lack of updates, but I was having writers' block on this story. I didn't forget, though, since I've had a "Sleepy Hollow Revival" since purchasing the DVD recently.

The weak sun rose eventually and somehow managed to chase away some of the fear. Klaus and Ichabod had searched everywhere, but they found no trace of the killer. Dawn had started all the children out in different beds but they all ended up in hers. She hadn't complained and felt more secure about their wellness this way. Dawn's eyes opened when she heard the door open.

Her dark eyes connected with Klaus's ethereal blue ones and they shared a grateful smile, the kind that said "I'm glad to see you". She held out her arms and he crossed the room in a quick stride. The weight of their father sitting down on the bed woke the children and they crowded towards him.

"I'm glad you're all right, Father," Hanne breathed, clinging to him.

"Same here," Jaegar breathed.

"Don't leave us again!" Hope demanded. Even the cat meowed a protest as Klaus reached to scratch behind its ears.

He hugged and kissed them all. Dawn closed her eyes for a second, drinking in the warm, solid feel of him in her arms.

"It will be all right," he tried to assure them.

The next few days passed with some uneasiness. While the older children were in school and Hope was playing in the next room, Dawn and Katrina sat together with their cups of steaming herbal tea.

"I don't like it," Dawn sighed, "the air feels really sinister. I don't want to keep my kids cooped up, but I'm so afraid that something will get them if I turn my back for just a second."

"I don't blame you," Katrina answered, "I feel that way, too. I have a theory about this creature, but I don't think anyone would like it."

It sounds like a vampire to me," Dawn said bluntly.

"Exactly. Most of what I know is from legends, but legends often have a basis of fact from somewhere."

Dawn nodded. She had grown up over the years and learned that stepping into a story did not equal a happily-ever-after. Living in this world did not come free of consequences.

"Garlic," Dawn said with a smile. Katrina chuckled.

"It makes one's breath smell strongly, but I don't know if that would be enough," she remarked.

"Mommy, mommy!" Hope burst into the room.

"What?" Dawn asked, alarmed at her daughter's pale face.

"There was a lady at the window! And she didn't have any clothes on! She was all white and she looked at me! She was so scary, Mommy!"

Dawn lifted Hope into her lap. Hope buried her face in Dawn's shoulder.

"Easy, easy…what were you doing before you saw this person?" Dawn asked, not wanting to jump to conclusions.

Hope thought for a minute.

"I was playing with Tiger and then he fell asleep. I got sleepy, too, I guess. I saw her when I woke up."

Dawn frowned. The inner psych major that had been buried a long time ago surfaced.

"Sweetie, it was probably just a bad dream."

"But-"

"I believe that you saw her," Dawn said soothingly, "but your mind plays tricks on you when you go to sleep or wake up. If you see her again, let me know, okay?"

"Okay…"

"It's almost time for lunch. We should probably get something ready for your brother, sister, and father."

Though Dawn often packed lunch for Hanne and Jaegar, they preferred to eat at home when she had the time. Dawn had introduced the concept of cheeseburgers to them and they loved them—Dawn actually knew how to make a lot of things from her own world that hadn't been introduced yet. She had also introduced them to pizza and pasta after several trial-and-error attempts at the dough recipe and consistency.

"What would you like to have for lunch?" Dawn asked Hope.

She thought for a moment.

"Pizza!" she announced.

It only took a few minutes for Dawn to assemble the ingredients. She always made a batch of tomato sauce two or three days in advance. Klaus had often joked about her affection for tomato sauce and said she would turn into a tomato one of these days. Dawn was surprised to find how much she enjoyed cooking. Though she could still use her technology, she relied on it less and less as she got used to doing things the old fashioned way.

Hope scrolled through the list on the music player and chose a nice upbeat song. The three of them took turns kneading the dough until it was the right consistency. Dawn shaped it into a flat circular shape and placed it on a flat pan. They spread the sauce over it while Katrina grated the cheese. When they had enough, they spread it over the top.

"Messy, but good," Dawn said as they cleaned up the table, "I can't tell you how many of these things I screwed up on before I got it right."

"Lots," Hope said helpfully. Dawn pretended to be insulted.

"Well, thank you Hope. You put the 'brutal' in 'brutally honest'."

"Well, you told me to tell the truth," Hope commented.

Katrina chuckled.

Below the shuttered window, Agatha crouched and listened. She inhaled deeply, taking in the scent.

_If only,_ she thought bitterly. Her body wouldn't digest anything but blood right now.

Viktor would not be pleased. He had gone to try and hunt down a few hearts himself and she was supposed to be at home resting. Her curiosity and desire for sunshine had gotten the best of her.

She couldn't stay out for long, or the sun would burn her milky skin. She was also rather conspicuous against the brown, gold, red, and orange landscape with tinges of green here and there. She'd already almost been spotted twice.

She'd gradually forgotten what it was like to be human. As she slunk away into the woods, she tried not to think about the gruesome task ahead of her. She had been hoping to surprise Viktor with one of the hearts, but she hadn't been able to do it. The child had spotted her at the window and screamed bloody murder. It was probably a good thing she hadn't gone through with it—both Klaus and Dawn would have become much more vigilant and protective of their other children if she had have killed Hope.

Viktor returned to see her sitting on the shore of the lake, her chin in her hand.

"Agatha, what are you doing out here? Someone could have seen you!" he scolded.

"Forgive me, Viktor," she said darkly, "I only wanted to feel the sun on my skin."

"And you will soon enough. But you must exercise patience and vigilance for now."

His green eyes were chilly right now. Her head was down like a pouting child's.

He raised her chin.

"Don't pout. You'll be all right."

"I can't help it," she sighed.

"Come inside."

And she obeyed just as she always had.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a pleasant time of the year to be out and about. Farmers were hurriedly trying to get their harvests in before the first frost could come and kill everything. Good smells perfumed the air near and far. Dawn assisted the others when she had a spare moment. The children were reluctant to go to school and miss everything, but she assured them it wouldn't be long before they could have a break. The harvest festival was going to be soon, followed by Thanksgiving.

"I picked one too many apples this year," she admitted to Klaus, "you're going to be sick of them."

"Never," he said affectionately, "but I will need another notch on my belt if you do not stop feeding me."

He pinched the little roll hanging over his waistband. Though in good condition physically, he was definitely filling out. Never in his lifetime (or afterlife) had he eaten this good. Dawn's apple pies were a serious temptation. She'd been making them since she was a teenager and they had only gotten better with practice.

"I think I'll make some more—do you think they'll sell good at the festival?" she asked.

"You won't have extras for long," he confirmed.

They were riding past the town square where the tables were being set up. There would be music (some provided by her and a few others, of course), games, plenty of food for very cheap prices, and a lot of merriment. So far, there had been no more incidents and both Klaus and Dawn were beginning to relax the tiniest bit. She still made sure the children were inside before dark and she still checked on them multiple times a night.

"Do you ever miss it?" Klaus asked suddenly.

"Miss what?" Dawn asked, turning her horse to face him.

"Where you came from."

"No," she confessed, "not really. There are some things I miss, but the tradeoff was more than worth it. Convenience doesn't always make a happy person. In fact, life seemed like it was moving right on past without me. Why do you ask?"

"Curiosity," he admitted.

"Well, right now, all the college students would be getting ready to go on Thanksgiving Break," Dawn said, "I'd be packing my car up and wondering whether I was going to fight with Mom about something stupid. My relatives would come over and my aunt would be scolding me for hanging around in my pajamas instead of dressed and made up and so forth. I loved them, but they sure did get on my nerves."

She felt an odd pang. It was strange to think she'd never see her parents again. It was like they were dead…no, that wasn't right. She knew they hadn't even been born yet. She wondered vaguely if any of her ancestors lived here in Sleepy Hollow.

"Do you ever miss your family?" she asked.

"Sometimes. A little."

They continued down the road.

"We weren't very close," Klaus admitted, "my parents did not have a relationship like ours. They slept in separate rooms. They only tolerated each other for public appearances. Once I was old enough to be on my own, they openly hated each other and my father had several affairs. I did not live long enough to know whether he was proud of me or ashamed."

She squeezed his hand. They didn't talk about their pasts often, but the past spilled into the present occasionally. It was sometimes hard for Dawn on the holidays, but she reminded herself that she still had family here, a family she and Klaus had created with God's love.

An ear-splitting scream broke the silence. Without thinking, Dawn and Klaus both dug their heels in and the horses jumped into a gallop. They chased down the source as fast as they could.

A girl, probably around sixteen, was trapped against the side of a house. A white-skinned woman held her by the throat. The next scream was choked into a gurgle. Klaus unsheathed his sword and Dawn pulled the dagger out of her dress pocket.

"Let her go!" Klaus demanded. The woman released her grip on the frightened girl.

"Come here," Dawn told her. She struggled to the side of the horse and Dawn pulled her into the saddle with a little difficulty. The poor girl was gray in the face and sweating coldly.

"Who and what are you?" Dawn demanded as Klaus's blade lay against the creature's throat. She snarled.

"Your worst nightmare!"

She seized the end of Klaus's sword and ripped it out of his grasp. The scent of burnt flesh and smoke rose from her palm, but it had been a worthy sacrifice. Klaus leapt from his horse and seized the hilt just as the creature seized him. Dawn dropped to the ground.

"Get Ichabod and the others!" she yelled to the girl. Dawn saw her gallop away just as the creature bit deep into her shoulder. Klaus slashed at her with the sword, but it barely seemed to affect her. She tore a long gash in Dawn's flesh with her teeth. Dawn sank the dagger into her right breast, but it still hardly had any effect. The creature seized hold of her with one hand and grabbed Klaus with the other. There was a flash of light followed by a swirling darkness.

"Over here!" said the girl they'd saved. Several men on horseback and many more on foot rode behind the house, but there was nothing there save for a scrap of bloody material from Dawn's dress.

"Oh, dear…"

"Do you suppose they're still alive?"

"No…but we have to search for them anyway. Someone go to the Reverend and tell him we need prayers. Also, get the children from school and take them to the church. Perhaps whatever evil thing this is won't get them there."

"Oof!"

Dawn landed roughly. The ground was hard enough as it was, but it felt a whole lot harder when Klaus's brawny frame slammed into her back.

"Sorry," he apologized. Then, they both slowly sat up.

"Where are we?" he asked, alarmed.

Dawn blinked once, twice, three times.

"Holy…"

Klaus gently pressed her shoulder.

"Remember me telling you about that night? About the apartment? It's over there."

He looked up. A series of dilapidated buildings, tan-painted on top with red bricks on the bottom, lay just to their right. To their left was a large parking lot. Dawn stood and extended a hand to him.

"We're right in the middle of the road," she told him, "we need to move."

He was about to ask what the rush was, but she pulled him into the grass just in time. A small blue car whizzed by, churning up a lot of wind in its wake. The driver honked his horn noisily and Dawn resisted the urge to give him the finger.

"That's why," she said breathlessly.

"What year is this?" he asked.

"It was two-thousand ten when I left," she said, "I don't know how much time has passed since then. I left my keys in Sl-"

She trailed off. Her yellow car was parked in the parking space. She tested the door, concerned that it opened so easily. Her car was clean except for the keys still in the ignition. The dorm key was still there, so she must not have finished moving in yet. Cautiously, she took the keys up the stairs and unlocked the door. She expected to smell rotten food and garbage, but the place only had the smell of musty old building. She ran to the refrigerator and found all the food still fresh. She clicked the lights on. She saw her cell-phone laying on the coffee table and seized it.

_May 12, 2010._

"Oh my…"

Klaus came in the door behind her and closed it.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It's like I've never left," she said, chilled to the bone, "everything's exactly the same."

She went to the bathroom and flipped the light on. The front of her dress was tight again, the unfortunate side effect of living on Ramen, pizza, and University food. This dress had fit perfectly when she'd been in Sleepy Hollow.

"What about our children?" Klaus asked darkly.

"I don't know. I don't know how any of this works," she said uneasily.


End file.
